Centrifugal separator bowl



May 4, 1937.

o. E. FRDING CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR BOWL Filed Deo. 1e, 193s WEA/raf?@haar H0" UNITED STAT PATET OFFICE CENTRIFUGAL sEPAaA'roR BOWL Olo.IEinar Frding, Stockholm, Sweden, as-

signor, by mesne assignments, to The De Laval Separator Company, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 16, 1933,Serial No. l702,710. In Sweden January 18, 1933 4 Claims.

In an application filed' by Henri Walch and Jean Prlaz May l1, 1931,Serial No. 536,500, there is `set forth a centrifugal separator providedwith three outlets, two of which are positioned, as in an ordinarycentrifugeI for separating two constituents of different specificgravities, comparatively close to, but at different distances from, theaxis'of rotation, while the third outlet (or series of outlets) isanroutlet of capillary character kin the peripheral part of the bowlwall. The bowl wall outlet functions to discharge one of the two heavierconstituents. Where one of such two heavier constituents is free flowingand the other comparatively viscous,

the former, whether heavier or lighter than the latter, will dischargethrough the bowl wall outlet. The provision of an outlet of capillarycharacter may be, for example, by providing in the bowl wall a hole withan inwardly-opening frusto-conical valve seat and a valve extending intothe hole and having a frusto-conical head which, by centrifugal force,is pressed outward to form a capillary throughflow channel betwieen thevalve and its seat forthe escape of the heavy iiuid constituent; or, asanother example, it may be effected by a hole inthe bowl wall having acountersunk recess and a headed pin which extends into the hole and hassleeved thereon ring-shaped discs or laminae which by centrifugal forceare pressed together and against the base of the recess and affordbetween them capillary channels for the escape of the heavy fluidconstituent.

Such a bowl is adapted, for example, for the separation of oil from theacid sludge formed in the treatment of lubricating oil with a mineralacid. Some of the acid is left in a free or uncombined state. It isdesirable to separately ydischarge the oil (the lightest constituent)the .acid sludge or goudron (the constituent of intermediate specificgravity) and the acid (which has the highest specic gravity). A bowlhaving the construction speciiied is adapted to continuously dischargethe acid through the outlet of capillary r character in the peripheralwall Vof the bowl,

while the separated goudron, occupying a zone near the periphery, flowsinward and discharges through the bowl neck.

The goudron, however, -is not completely removed, but, owing to itsconsistency, a certain proportion remains in the bowl. Itis important topromptly remove the same, since after it has had time to solidifyincontact with the air, its removal is diicult.

The same condition may exist in the separation of any threeconstituents, one of the two heavier of which is relatively viscous. Itmay exist where the bowl is provided with outlets for only two separatedconstituents, one of which outlets (or a series'of which) is in theperipheral wall, if one of the heavy constituents is free flowing andthe other heavy constituent is so viscous or semisolid that itaccumulates on the bowl wall, so as to necessitate stopping of thecentrifuge preparatory to its removal.

The present invention is an improvement on the prior constructiondescribed in that it provides for the removal of the sludge or goudronthrough the bowl wall and specifically through an opening or channelthat is normally closed during the separating action and may communicatewith the orice, beyond the capillary opening, through which the aciddischarges during the separating action. The invention thus comprises aselective outlet or outlets which may be adjusted to allow,alternatively, the discharge of only one of the heavy constituents,andthen the discharge of the'other.

The drawing shows two preferred embodiments of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a sectional View through the periphereral wall of the bowl ofone form of the selective outlet above generally described.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of another embodiment of the invention.

Referring first to the construction shown in Fig. 1: Into a threadedhole in the bowl wall a., which is preferably countersunk at its innerend, is screwed, from the inside, a headed screw plug b, the head of theplug confining tightly a sealing gasket c between it andthe base of thecountersink. Plug b is provided with a through axial hole zr, into whichextends a valve body d, of substantially smaller diameter than hole andprovided with a frusto-conical head e, that engages a correspondingfrusto-conical enlargement f of the inner end of hole The engagementbetween the conical head e of valve d and the conical seat at the innerend of the plug b shouldnot be so tight as to seal the space betweenthem, but a sufficient space, or sufcientlyrlarge channels, preferablyof a capillary character, should be left between them to allow theescape, during the separating action, of the heavy free flowingconstituent (e. g., sulfuric acid); but the space or channels must notbe large enough to allow the escape of the rela-V tively viscous,semi-solid heavy constituent (e. g., the goudron).

During the separating action the valve d occuthe inner wall of screwplug b. The outer end off;`

plug b is provided with a cross-groove 7c, .which may be engaged by ascrew driverl to enable' the valve to be turned to move pin gintoIgroove Vh,

continued turning of the valve eiTeCtingLits re-l cession. At the end ofthe inward turningfmovement of valve d, pin g engages a depression ivatthe inner end of the groove.

rotation of the bowl, preventing centrifugal force from moving the valveoutward against'its coni-- When valve d is thus movedand held.

cal-seat.- inward, asufliciently capacious .annular outlet is providedto allow the escape oftheaccumulated viscous liquid or. semisolids.

The described construction is but one of many different embodiments ofthe invention. The constructionshown in Fig. 2 comprises anouterscrew-plugm threaded into an orifice in the bowlY wall; aninnerscrewplugY n threaded into the outer screw plug and provided withafrustoconical head o engaging., preferably tightly, a correspondingrecession. the inner. end of plug m; and a` nut pthreaded on the innerend of plug n and yconlining between it and the head o ring discsforlaminae r, preferably of etched sheet metahaffording between themcapillary channelslfor flow of non-viscous heavy liquid. Plug n is:provided -with a central bore-sand -with holes taffordingcommunicationbetween said capillary channels and the central bore.

J ustbelow its-enlarged head, plugn is-provided with-an -annular groove4wand holes?) connecting groove u and the central borey s. Byscrewingplugninward, itshead o recedes from'the head of plug m, affordingcapacious channels, through groove'u, holes-u and bores` for dischargeof-the sludge from the bowl.

What I claim and desire to protect byLetters Patent'is:

1. In a centrifugal bowl, means-.operative during the normal operationofthe bowl to discharge only.` one-of-'two constituents of amixture andalso-selectively operative to intermittently dis--l chargeethe otherconstituent, saidfmeans-comprising anr annular outermember through thebowl wall, an inner member extend-A ing through-the outer member, andhaving an orice aiording an opening for outlowof either.

constituent, means to throttle the inner. opening to said orifice, therebeing a transverse channel through: the .inner membercommunicating withsaid orifice, the inner member being adjustable inward-to providea-relatively unrestricted opening between-the two members to provideanunrestrictedpassage from the interior ofthe bowl throughsaidopening,channel and .orifice to the exteriorv` ofthe bowl, and. means adapted tohold. theinner rnemberin itsinwardly adjusted position againstcentrifugal force.

2. .In a centrifugal bowl, means operative during the normalyoperationof the bowl to discharge only oneof two .constituentsof amixture and also selectively operative.Y to intermittently discharge theother constituent, said means comprising an` Valverd-is thereby held inits inward position during- Ithe subsequent extending annular outermember extending through the bowl wall, a second inner member extendingthrough the outer member and providing between said members an annularoriiice through which either constituent may outow to the exterior ofthe bowl, said inner member being manually adjustable inward relative tothe outer member and, when not so adjusted, movable outwardrelative tothe outer member under the influence of centrifugal force, said membershaving at their inner ends surfacesadapted, when said inner member ismoved outwardY under the inuence of centrifugal force, to'substantiallycontact and when so contacted aiord between them a passage of capillarycharacterfrom the interior of the bowl tol said annular orlce andadapted, when said inner member is manually adjusted inward, to besubstantially separated and afford between them a free passage from theinterior of the bowl t0 said annular orifice, and means on the twomembers. adapted to. cooperate to hold said inner member in its adjustedinward position .tothereby-f hold saidsurfaces separatedjagainst theinfluence ofcentrifugal force.

3. In a centrifugal bowl, means operative -during the normal operationof the bowl to discharge onlyvone oftwo constituents of a mixture andalso selectivelyoperative to intermittently discharge the otherconstituent, said means comprising an annular outer member extendingthrough the. bowl wall, a second inner member extending through theouter member. and providing between. said members an annular orificethrough which either constituent may outflow to the exteriorY of thebowl, said inner member being manually adjustable inward relative to theouter member and, when notso adjusted, movable outward. relative to theouter member under the iniiuence of centrifugal force, said membershaving attheir inner ends surfaces adapted, when saidinner member ismoved outward'under. the inuence of Icentrifugal force, to substantiallycontactV and when so contacted aifordbetween them a passage of capillarycharacter from the interior of the bowl to said annular orice and means,including aprojection on one of said members and a groove in the otherof said members, which, when the inner member is in its adjusted inwardposition, are adapted to.

and'alsoselectively operative to intermittently discharge` the otherconstituent, saidmeans comprising an annular outer member extendingthrough the bowl wall, an inner member extending through the outermember, means'providing a passage affording an opening forthe' outflowof either constituent, means providing -a throttledlinlet to saidpassage, theinner mem, ber being manually adjustable inward to" pro'-vide a relatively unrestrictedH opening' from" the interior of the bowlto and through' said'passage to the exterior of the'bowl, andlcooperating means' on said two membersl to hold" the inner member in itsinwardly adjusted 'position against' centrifugal force.

onor' EINAR r'RDINcsr.L

